Westchester Democrats pick Noam Bramson for county executive race

Nominee will challenge GOP incumbent Astorino in the fall

Apr. 25, 2013

Noam Bramson, left, a candidate for Westchester County Executve on the Democratic line, meets with people before the start of the Democratic convention at the Westchester County Center on Wednesday. / Elizabeth Ganga/The Journal News

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Ken Jenkins, right, a candidate for Westchester County Executve on the Democratic line, meets with people before the start of the Democratic convention at the Westchester County Center on Wednesday. / Elizabeth Ganga/The Journal News

Bill Ryan, a candidate for Westchester County Executve on the Democratic line, meets with people before the start of the Democratic convention at the Westchester County Center on Wednesday. / Elizabeth Ganga/The Journal News

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WHITE PLAINS — New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson defeated Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins of Yonkers late Wednesday to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination for the county’s top office and will face GOP County Executive Rob Astorino in this fall’s election.

Legislator Bill Ryan of White Plains received the least number of votes in the first round, leaving Jenkins and Bramson to face off in a second vote, which was 54 percent for Bramson and 45 percent for Jenkins.

Bramson thanked his supporters and honored his fellow candidates in his victory speech shortly before 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

“Now strong, united and determined, we go forth as one team,” he said.

Some 2,000 Democrats gathered at the Westchester County Center for the convention.

“There’s one thing tonight that unites us all,” Jenkins said in his nomination acceptance speech. “The top priority for everyone in this room is beating Rob Astorino in November. He’s the wrong man in the wrong job in the wrong county.”

All the candidates agreed to abide by the decision of the convention and not take the fight to a primary. With a competitive battle for delegates’ votes, the convention was a rare case in which the outcome was not preordained.

The convention got moving around an hour after the scheduled start time of 7 p.m. after party officials sorted out confusion over proxy votes. Delegates sat under placards showing their town and city names in a micro-version of the national party conventions.

“This room will unite to beat Rob Astorino,” said Katie Gorycki, the vice chairwoman of the Ossining Democratic Committee.

Bramson will enjoy a major registration advantage against Astorino. But he will face a well-financed candidate who engineered a major upset four years ago when he beat longtime incumbent Andrew Spano.

Astorino won over voters frustrated by rising taxes and a weak economy and was helped by low Democratic turnout. This year, Astorino can run on a record of holding down taxes but will have to face criticisms about cuts to county programs and a conservative outlook at odds with that of many of his constituents.

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Bramson, 43, served as a New Rochelle councilman for 10 years before becoming mayor at the beginning of 2006. He was reelected in 2011.

As mayor, he has faced difficult budgets and grappled with service cuts. At times, he has been criticized by police and firefighters for reducing staffing. Bramson said he took a balanced approach and respected the needs of taxpayers.

Bramson has argued Astorino has ignored regional planning challenges and not created an effective strategy for economic growth. He also said Astorino is the county’s most ideological, right-wing leader in modern times.

Ryan said he got a late start in his campaign, entering the race in January, and played “catch-up ball” with the other candidates from the start.

“But I thought it was very important for me to get in there,” he said. “At the time, I was the first to announce, and the alternative was a continuation of Astorino in office, and I believe that if he continues, he’s going to do irreparable harm to this county.”

As of the last filing in January, Bramson had a significant fundraising advantage over the other Democrats. He was able to raise almost $427,000 in four weeks from the start of his campaign, leaving him with $525,000 on hand, and his campaign said he is on the way to his goal of more than $2 million. Astorino had $2.2 million in the bank in January.

Also Wednesday, District Attorney Janet DiFiore received the nomination to run for a third term over Mayo Bartlett, a partner at a White Plains law firm and former chief of the Bias Crimes Unit of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.

“Every day that I have served I have strived to do so with focus, with determination, with skill, and without fear or favor,” she said.

County Clerk Tim Idoni was the only candidate nominated for that office. He is running for a third term this year.